Alex Telles was one of the new additions at Manchester United this season and he arrived at Old Trafford from FC Porto late in the summer transfer window.
The Brazilian competes with Luke Shaw for the left-back position and the former’s signing is judged as encouraging Shaw’s resurgence in form.
Earlier reports indicated the Red Devils want to bring in a new right-back to provide competition to Aaron Wan-Bissaka and also to get the best out of him.
Atlético Madrid’s Kieran Trippier has been identified as a target for the Premier League club. AS reported in December that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are ‘pushing hard’ for the fullback.
Former Manchester United defender Rafael believes the 30-year-old’s signing can benefit the Old Trafford club.
“I am 100% sure, this is what makes players compete for their place and improve. If you play every game, you have no competition and you can start to feel comfortable, it’s not good for you,” he told the Manchester Evening News.
Rafael’s comments on Trippier has been relayed in today’s edition of Mundo Deportivo and the newspaper further provides their own information on the England international.
At the moment ‘nothing suggests’ the former Tottenham Hotspur player wants to leave Diego Simeone’s side for Manchester United and even Atlético are not thinking of offloading the defender.
However, thought has to be given on what to do with Trippier in the summer since he will be a non-EU player from next season due to Brexit.
What Mundo have not taken into account is that the right-back can be treated as a EU player until the expiration of his current deal [2022], provided Atlético don’t extend his contract. This was agreed between LaLiga, the RFEF and AFE at the end of last year.
The clause states: “Finally, it is agreed to raise the agreement reached between the three institutions to the Superior Sports Council in order for this body to show its compliance with the adjustment to the current national legislation and applicable to that effect and, so that, it can extend its effects until the current expiration date of the contracts of the affected players, but without the possibility of an extension.”